Canvas by Jean Paul Laurent excommunication of Robert the Pious. Grishkovets told how they tried to kick him out of the Orsay Museum in Paris. Robert's Family Affairs

- (Robert le Pieux) (c. 970, Orleans July 20, 1031, Melun), king of France from the Capetian dynasty (see CAPETINS) (Robertines) from 996 to 1031. Son of Hugh Capet (see HUGO CAPET) and Adele of Aquitaine. Crowned during his father's lifetime at the end of December 987 in the church... Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (971 1031) French king, son of Hugo Capet, after whose death in 996 he ascended the throne. R. was married to his cousin Bertha, daughter of Conrad, King of Provence. When Pope Gregory V declared this marriage invalid,... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Robert II the Pious Robert II le Pieux Robert II the Pious ... Wikipedia

Robert I of Old France Robert I le Vieux ... Wikipedia

- (Robert Ier le Vieux), Duke of Burgundy (1011 March 21, 1076, Fleury sur Oche). Son of the French king Robert II the Pious (see ROBERT II the Pious) and Constance of Arles, brother of King Henry I (see HENRY I (French king)). Exactly… … Encyclopedic Dictionary

Wikipedia has articles about other people named Robert II. Robert II the Pious Robert II le Pieux Robert II Blagoch ... Wikipedia

Wikipedia has articles about other people named Robert I. Robert I Old Fr. Robert I le Vieux ... Wikipedia

Fr. Thibaut II de Blois ... Wikipedia

Books

King of the Franks, Vladimir Vasilievich Moskalev Series: World History in Novels Publisher: Veche,
King of the Franks Roman, Moskalev V., Hugo Capet became king of France in 987. But it was more a title than power. The vassals of the crown turned out to be too strong and independent. Hugo had to spend a lot of money to...

Almost immediately after his own coronation, Hugo Capet crowns his son Robert, thereby making him his co-ruler. The reason for this was given as a precaution in case of the death of Hugo Capet during the campaign against the Moors. It is possible, however, that the reason for the coronation is as follows. Hugo Capet, who became king by decision of the feudal lords, sought to secure the throne for his heirs and prevent the king from being re-elected again after his death. Therefore, he crowned his son Robert II in 987. Note that after the death of Hugo Capet in 996, no re-election took place and the French throne remained with the Capetians for a long time.

Robert's character

Robert was a pupil of the famous Herbert of Aurillac, who later became Pope Sylvester II. He was distinguished by such zeal and talents that he excelled in military affairs, and in divine subjects, and in the canonical sciences, was an adherent of the liberal arts and participated in councils of bishops that discussed and examined church affairs. Throughout his life, this king maintained his religiosity and love of education, instilled in him by his teacher. He was a peace-loving man in spirit, sang with the monks at the Abbey of Saint-Denis and read religious books. He was so pious that he had mercy on the conspirators, gave forgiveness to other criminals, and even once left without punishment a thief who had thwarted gold decoration from his clothes.

Robert's Family Affairs

However, despite all his piety, Robert for a long time was in the most severe quarrel with the papal throne. The first marriage, probably concluded at the will and insistence of his father, was with the daughter of Berengar II of Ivreia, Rosalia. When she became queen, she took the name Susanna. Being several years older than her husband, she was already married to Arnulf II of Flanders and had several children. After the death of his father, Robert divorced his first wife in order to marry Bertha of Burgundy, daughter of Conrad I the Quiet, King of Burgundy. Through this advantageous marriage, the king acquired many rich and extensive possessions. But, unfortunately, Bertha was related to him in one of those degrees of relationship in which marriage is prohibited by canonical laws. The stern Pope Gregory V declared this marriage invalid and, when, despite this, Robert did not want to part with Bertha, he excommunicated him in 998. Nevertheless, the king remained faithful to his wife for a long time and defended her against the pope and the French clergy. He paid no attention to the excommunication and the church punishment imposed on him. Only premature birth his wives shook his fidelity. He finally divorced Bertha and soon married Constance of Arles, daughter of Count William I of Provence, who was as proud, power-hungry and stingy as Robert was pious, kind and generous. At first she completely subjugated the king, but with such a sharp contradiction in their natures, such bad relations arose between them that Robert, despite his piety, openly lived in a double marriage for some time, trying to get permission from the Pope to reunite with Bertha.

Relations with vassals

With the most powerful of his vassals, Robert was in good relations; He was especially friendly with Richard II the Good, Duke of Normandy, and William V the Great, Duke of Aquitaine. At the end of 1002, after the death of his uncle Ed-Henry, Duke of Burgundy, Robert tried to annex Burgundy to his crown possessions, but the Burgundians did not want to hear about merging with the inhabitants of France. In vain, for several years, Robert tried to conquer them with the help of the Norman Duke; finally, he abandoned the idea of taking possession of Burgundy and, leaving it as a separate duchy, handed it over to his son Henry I in 1016. In some parts of the state, the king, with all his prudent severity, could not maintain his influence. This was the case in Champagne, Chartres and Tours, where no effort could lead to the obedience of Count Ed II de Blois, the son of Queen Bertha from her first marriage to Ed I de Blois. In the same way, Robert could not pacify the ardent Fulk III Nerra, Count of Anjou.

During the reign of Robert II (sometimes called Robert the Pious), in 1022, ten heresiarchs were executed for the first time by burning at the stake. The leaders of the heretical movement that swept through Orleans and Toulouse probably defended a greater role for personal effort and belittled the role of the church in the salvation of the soul.

Feud with sons

Recent years The king's life was marred by strife with his sons. The cause of the quarrel is believed to have been Queen Constance, who certainly wanted to transfer the throne to her youngest son Robert. Because of this, the two eldest sons - Hugo Magnus and Henry, deprived of almost all support, were forced to lead the life of wandering knights. Hugo died in the bloom of his youth on September 17, 1025, and Henry, having reconciled with his father, was appointed his successor and crowned in Reims while his father was still alive on May 14, 1027.

Wives and children

Robert II the Pious was married three times.

since 997 Bertha of Burgundy(964 - January 16, 1010). She was the daughter of Conrad I the Quiet, King of Burgundy and the widow of Count Ed I of Blois. Unfortunately, the king's chosen one was his cousin. Pope Gregory V declared the marriage of Robert and Bertha invalid and when, despite this, the king did not want to part with his chosen one, he excommunicated him from the Church. Robert tried to resist the Pope's decision, but his wife's premature birth shook his resolve. The marriage was annulled by Pope Sylvester II and soon the king married for the third time.
- stillborn son (999-999)
since 988 Susanna (Rosalia) Italian(955 - February 7, 1003). Widow of Count Arnulf II of Flanders, daughter of Berengar II of Israel, King of Italy. Susanna was much older than her husband. Robert divorced her in 996 in order to marry Bertha of Burgundy.
- there were no children
since 1003 Constance of Arles(986 - July 25, 1032) - daughter of William I, Count of Provence. The new queen turned out to be ambitious and prone to intrigue, constantly inciting her own offspring to rebel against their father. However, it was she who gave birth to all the royal heirs.

- (possible daughter) Beatrice (? - 1072).
- Henry I(4 May 1008 - 4 August 1060), - King of France.
- Hugo Magnus, co-ruler of Robert II (1007 – 17 September 1025), crowned 9 June 1017
- (possible daughter) Adelaide(1014 - January 8, 1079).
- Advisa(fr. Advisa), Countess of Auxerre (fr. Auxerre), (1003 - no earlier than 1063), married to Renaud I, Count of Nevers. The children of this marriage inherited the counties of Nevers and Auxerre.
- Robert I(1011 - March 21, 1076), Duke of Burgundy from 1032, ancestor of the first Burgundian House of Capetians, who ruled the Duchy of Burgundy in 1032-1361. One of his descendants, Alfonso I the Conqueror (1109-1185), became the first king of Portugal in 1139. All subsequent monarchs of Portugal (the Burgundian and Aviz dynasties, the House of Braganza) up to Maria II (1819-1853) and the Brazilian Emperor Pedro II were direct descendants in the male line of Robert I.
- Constance(fr. Constance) (1014 - unknown), married to Manasseh (1000-1037), Count of Dammartin.
- Adela, Countess de Contenance, later Countess of Flanders (1009 – 5 June 1063), married to: (1) Duke Richard III of Normandy; and (2) Count of Flanders Baldwin V. It is most likely that Adela Capet was the mother of Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror.
- Ed(1013-1056), died during the attempted invasion of Normandy.

In addition, Robert had at least one bastard: Raoul, who became Archbishop of Bourges.

We always owe women: good ones for our happiness, evil ones for our knowledge of good and evil.
Louis Lepre

King Robert II, son of Hugh Capet, would have been canonized if not for the love that turned his whole life upside down. The king was very devout and spent his time in prayer, confessing that there was no more pleasant entertainment for him than reading litanies. Some chroniclers claim that when he wanted to briefly change his occupation, he composed church songs. This is enough to understand: Robert II was not frivolous.

Alas? The woman managed to change everything and turn this strict crowned monk into a passionate lover.

Bertha of Burgundy was married when the king turned his attention to her. Her husband was Oda, Count of Chartres, and they had five children.

The king saw her for the first time in Orleans. Bertha was then twenty-seven years old, she was in the prime of her strength and beauty. Robert felt an irresistible attraction to her, which surprised him greatly. Until that day, he had never felt the need for a woman. True, he married Rosalie, Arnoul’s widow, at the age of eighteen, but this marriage was dictated by purely political interests.

In addition, Rosalie was thirty-four years older than him, and the young king did not take their relationship seriously, which is why the queen constantly complained that he was not fulfilling his marital duties. Finally, Robert got tired of her claims, which he found not only shameless, but also excessive, and he rejected her.

Thus, the king remained chaste, and at twenty-two he felt as pure as a choir boy. Bertha's captivating gaze and her light gait made him think about how much time he had wasted while practicing litanies.

On the first evening after the meeting, he wanted to take Oda’s wife into bed. Undoubtedly, he expressed his desire somewhat straightforwardly with the haste of a beginner, and therefore Bertha was offended by him and retired with dignity to her apartment.

Robert, feeling a heaviness in his body from overexcitement, realized that unrequited love is a very painful feeling. And went to take a cold bath...

The next day Bertha returned to Chartres, and poor Robert was in a dejected state. No one could recognize him, since the love suffering that took possession of him turned him from a pious and merciful king into an angry bull.

Ever since Bertha rejected him, Robert had a downright obsessive idea - to make her a widow.” Forgetting about all the religious dogmas that he had recently revered, he began to think about how to quickly get rid of Od.

It was necessary to act subtly. Robert, although he didn’t know women well, felt that an ordinary murder could scare away a nice woman from him. Then he began to look for the enemies of the Count of Chartres, offering his help:

“We’ll get him dead or alive,” he said.

When the opportunity arose to settle scores with the count, he took command of the army and launched a fierce battle against his rival.

The fierce struggle lasted for many years. But Robert's love did not weaken. When he remembered Bertha’s delightful forms, he was overcome with such rage that he was ready to destroy an entire army if only his beloved was nearby. No doubt the day would come when Robert would cut off the head of his rival. But Od unexpectedly died of the flu.

The death of the count immediately stopped the protracted war, and Robert, without wasting a minute, rushed to Chartres to ask for Bertha's hand. She was so touched by such constancy that she immediately agreed. Robert finally found the one he had been dreaming about for more than three years.

True, the wedding could not take place as quickly as the bride and groom wanted. Soon new difficulties arose; it turned out that Bertha was Robert’s second cousin, and the church categorically forbade marriages between relatives. Still, they asked for the pope’s consent and, of course, were refused.

The King of France is a Christian like everyone else. He must also obey the law, was the answer that came from Rome.

Robert did not give up and turned for help to the bishops, who were lenient towards human (and royal) weaknesses. When they arrived in Rome in the hope of softening the Pope, Gregory V refused them an audience.

After a year of fruitless negotiations, Robert, whom love made impudent, violating the prohibition of the church, married Bertha and even had the audacity to invite the archbishop from the city of Tours to his wedding. Pope Gregory V, having learned that they dared to disobey him, became very angry and in 998 convened a synod in Pavia, which decreed: “King Robert, who, despite the papal prohibition, married his relative, must come to us and atone for his guilt together with bishops who allowed this incestuous marriage. Those who do not appear will be excommunicated."

Such a threat, made four years before the famous year 1000, which some exalted monks considered the time heralding the end of the world, was not a pleasant one. Robert was very upset. Trying to appease the pope, he sent an ambassador to Rome, who was reputed to be a skilled diplomat.

“We have some contradictions with the papal throne,” the king told him. Assure Gregory V that I will fully atone for my guilt if he does not separate Bertha and me.

But dad did not compromise and ordered Robert to reject Bertha for the second time.

The embarrassed ambassador returned empty-handed, and his news aroused great anger in the king.

“I will never part with my wife,” Robert exclaimed. - She is dearer to me than anything in the world! Let everyone know about it!

Several months passed, Robert became stubborn, and the pope convened an Ecumenical Council in Rome, where a harsh sentence was pronounced:

Canon 1. “King Robert must part with Bertha, his relative, whom he illegally married. According to church regulations, he must repent within seven years. If he refuses the decision of the church, he will be anathema. The same sentence awaits Bertha.”

Canon 2. “Archambeau, the archbishop of Tours, who sanctified this marriage, and all the bishops who were present at the ceremony at the conclusion of this incestuous marriage, are excommunicated until they come to Rome and atone for their guilt.”

This decision of Gregory V struck Robert to the core. Despite his disobedience to the pope, he remained deeply pious. Now it was not just about excommunication, but about anathema - the most severe church punishment that the pope could announce, a punishment condemning him to eternal damnation.

Experiencing severe torment, he nevertheless did not give in to his dad and remained faithful to the woman he loved. He preferred hell to separation from Bertha.

This act was assessed differently. Some reproached the king for putting his personal interests above the interests of the country, with which the pope always had good relations, others believed that Robert was dragging all of France into sin with him.

We will all be doomed because of this woman, they shouted.

For when the people are indignant, they are always prone to exaggeration.

After excommunication, Robert and Bertha, numb with fear, locked themselves in the palace.

When from time to time the king emerged from his voluntary imprisonment, at the sight of him everyone ran away as if from the plague. People crossed children he looked at, burned things he touched.

Soon he no longer left the palace, where he was alone with his wife. Their food was prepared by two servants, who were forced after eating to set fire to the bowls and goblets touched by Robert and Bertha.

However, despite all the terrible torment that the papal sentence caused him, Robert remained tender and kind to Bertha, this wonderful woman for whom he could sacrifice own life and thanks to which he learned the art of love.

Five terrible years have passed.

Bertha, exhausted by such a life, began to waste away. And then the king informed the pope of his readiness to submit to him. This belated obedience had only one goal - to give Bertha the opportunity to live a normal life, and not feel buried alive in a gloomy palace. Robert officially divorced her under the pretext that she had not yet given birth to an heir; in fact, he left her in the palace, and every night they shared a bed.

Dad was pleased with what he had won. victory. But, having again accepted the King of France and his beloved into the fold of the church, the sly man asked Robert:

When are you going to get married again?

There was no end to Bertha's torments...

The king was forced to marry. The choice fell on Constance of Aquitaine. Fortunately, this rude, stingy, vain and evil woman was preoccupied only with herself and did not pay attention to the relationship between Bertha and Robert, which lasted until their deaths.

Constance brought with her several traveling poets. These were the first troubadours. They looked very much like women, and their strange manners shocked the entire royal court. Here is what one of the chroniclers writes about them: “Their hair is cut very short. These are real buffoons. Their chins are shaved, they wear short pants and ridiculous boots that end in a curved toe. All of them appearance speaks of spiritual immorality. People without faith, without principles, without shame, whose existence undermines the former ideas about the French nation as a fairly decent nation, and makes us think of it as a nation of libertines and evil ones.”

Since the queen allowed them to do whatever they wanted, the troubadours took advantage of this and set up a kind of abode of love and vice at court, which did not make decent people very happy. The king was angry with Constance.

Moreover, she was so grumpy and greedy that Robert finally lost patience. But most of all the king was burdened by the cruelty that she showed at every opportunity. Once, when a group of heretics were brought to execution, she, recognizing one of them as her former confessor, knocked out his eye with a stick. The king was outraged and shocked by what happened.

* * *

This incident made him so disgusted with Constance that he soon left for Rome with the hope of obtaining permission from the new pope (Gregory V had died by that time) to divorce and regain his dear Bertha.

Robert took Bertha with him, considering it normal to visit the pope with his concubine, whom he loved as passionately and strongly as he hated his wife.

Dad did not heed Robert's request and flatly refused to give his consent to the divorce.

The unhappy lovers returned to Paris, and life for three began again.

“The Church, because of its own severity,” the king exclaimed bitterly, “sometimes forces us to live in sins...

This paradoxical situation weighed heavily on him.

Reading about the last period of Robert II's life, one might think that he was a libertine, but this is a delusion, for his morality was quite high. He may have had some shortcomings, but his dignity lay in the fact that he was not merciless towards the weaknesses of others.

One day, when the king was going to prayer in the morning, he was surprised by two people indulging in the art of love right on the side of the road. He did not scold and condemn them, as another pilgrim would have done in his place, but limited himself to covering them with his royal mantle and calmly leaving for the prayer service.

Bertha died in 1031. The inconsolable Robert survived her only by a few months.

Hugo Capet crowns his son:

Robert's character:

Robert was a pupil of the famous Herbert of Aurillac, who later became Pope Sylvester II. He was distinguished by such zeal and talents that he excelled in military affairs, and in divine subjects, and in the canonical sciences, was an adherent of the liberal arts and participated in councils of bishops that discussed and examined church affairs. Throughout his life, this king maintained his religiosity and love of education, instilled in him by his teacher. He was a peace-loving man in spirit, sang with the monks at the Abbey of Saint-Denis and read religious books. He was so pious that he pardoned the conspirators, granted forgiveness to other criminals, and even once left without punishment a thief who tore a gold ornament from his clothes.

Robert's Family Affairs:

However, despite all his piety, Robert was for a long time in the most severe quarrel with the papal throne. The first marriage, probably concluded at the will and insistence of his father, was with the daughter of Berengar II of Ivreia, Rosalia. When she became queen, she took the name Susanna. Being several years older than her husband, she was already married to Arnulf II of Flanders and had several children. After the death of his father, Robert divorced his first wife in order to marry Bertha of Burgundy, daughter of Conrad I the Quiet, King of Burgundy. Through this advantageous marriage, the king acquired many rich and extensive possessions. But, unfortunately, Bertha was related to him in one of those degrees of relationship in which marriage is prohibited by canonical laws. The stern Pope Gregory V declared this marriage invalid and, when, despite this, Robert did not want to part with Bertha, he excommunicated him in 998. Nevertheless, the king remained faithful to his wife for a long time and defended her against the pope and the French clergy. He paid no attention to the excommunication and the church punishment imposed on him. Only the premature birth of his wife shook his loyalty. He finally divorced Bertha and soon married Constance of Arles, daughter of Count William I of Provence, who was as proud, power-hungry and stingy as Robert was pious, kind and generous. At first she completely subjugated the king, but with such a sharp contradiction in their natures, such bad relations arose between them that Robert, despite his piety, openly lived in a double marriage for some time, trying to get permission from the Pope to reunite with Bertha.

Relations with vassals

Robert was on good terms with the most powerful of his vassals; He was especially friendly with Richard II the Good, Duke of Normandy, and William V the Great, Duke of Aquitaine. At the end of 1002, after the death of his uncle Ed-Henry, Duke of Burgundy, Robert tried to annex Burgundy to his crown possessions, but the Burgundians did not want to hear about merging with the inhabitants of France. In vain, for several years, Robert tried to conquer them with the help of the Norman Duke; finally, he abandoned the idea of taking possession of Burgundy and, leaving it as a separate duchy, handed it over to his son Henry I in 1016. In some parts of the state, the king, with all his prudent severity, could not maintain his influence. This was the case in Champagne, Chartres and Tours, where no effort could lead to the obedience of Count Ed II de Blois, the son of Queen Bertha from her first marriage to Ed I de Blois. In the same way, Robert could not pacify the ardent Fulk III Nerra, Count of Anjou.

During the reign of Robert II (sometimes called Robert the Pious), in 1022, ten heresiarchs were executed for the first time by burning at the stake. The leaders of the heretical movement that swept through Orleans and Toulouse advocated perhaps a greater role for personal effort and belittled the role of the church in the salvation of the soul.

Feud with sons:

The last years of the king's life were marred by feuds with his sons. The cause of the quarrel is believed to have been Queen Constance, who certainly wanted to transfer the throne to her youngest son Robert. Because of this, the two eldest sons - Hugo Magnus and Henry, deprived of almost all support, were forced to lead the life of wandering knights. Hugo died in the bloom of his youth on September 17, 1025, and Henry, having reconciled with his father, was appointed his successor and crowned in Reims while his father was still alive on May 14, 1027.

Wives and children:

Robert II the Pious was married three times.

from 988 Susanna (Rosalia) of Italy (955 - February 7, 1003). Widow of Count Arnulf II of Flanders, daughter of Berengar II of Israel, King of Italy. Susanna was much older than her husband. Robert divorced her in 996 in order to marry Bertha of Burgundy.

there were no children

from 997 Bertha of Burgundy (964 - January 16, 1010). She was the daughter of Conrad I the Quiet, King of Burgundy and the widow of Count Ed I of Blois. Unfortunately, the king's chosen one was his cousin. Pope Gregory V declared the marriage of Robert and Bertha invalid and when, despite this, the king did not want to part with his chosen one, he excommunicated him from the Church. Robert tried to resist the Pope's decision, but his wife's premature birth shook his resolve. The marriage was annulled by Pope Sylvester II and soon the king married for the third time.

stillborn son (999-999)

from 1003 Constance of Arles (986 - July 25, 1032) - daughter of William I, Count of Provence. The new queen turned out to be ambitious and prone to intrigue, constantly inciting her own offspring to rebel against their father. However, it was she who gave birth to all the royal heirs.

Advisa (French: Advisa), Countess of Auxerre (French: Auxerre), (1003 - not earlier than 1063), married to Renault I, Count of Nevers. The children of this marriage inherited the counties of Nevers and Auxerre.

Adela, Countess of Contenance, later Countess of Flanders (1009 – 5 June 1063), married to: (1) Duke Richard III of Normandy; and (2) Count of Flanders Baldwin V. It is most likely that Adela Capet was the mother of Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror.

Robert I (1011 - 21 March 1076), Duke of Burgundy from 1032, ancestor of the first House of Burgundy, the Capetians, who ruled the Duchy of Burgundy from 1032-1361. One of his descendants, Alfonso I the Conqueror (1109-1185), became the first king of Portugal in 1139. All subsequent monarchs of Portugal (the Burgundian and Aviz dynasties, the House of Braganza) up to Maria II (1819-1853) and the Brazilian Emperor Pedro II were direct descendants in the male line of Robert I.

Ed (1013-1056), died during the attempted invasion of Normandy.

Constance (French: Constance) (1014 - unknown), married to Manasseh (1000-1037), Count of Dammartin.

(possible daughter) Beatrice (? - 1072).

In addition, Robert had at least one bastard: Raoul, who became Archbishop of Bourges.

France in 1030.